Background Information about Henry Horenstein

Introduction

AQUATICS

Henry Horenstein (*1947) has been a popular figure and teacher in American photography for a long time, spreading his influence to a myriad of admirers and practitioners of the art, including Nan Goldin, for example, who was one of his students. Among his teachers were also the master photographers Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind. Since the 1970’s he has been teaching at the famous Rhode Island School of Design. His curriculum vita documents more than 30 books and countless exhibitions in museums and galleries at home and abroad. Describing his animal photographs the newspaper Boston Globe writes: "Henry Horenstein creates quasi-abstract forms of creatures." Not only his series "Creatures" with land animals, but also his photographs "Aquatics" of underwater creatures, are central contributions to today's animal photography. His works are painstaking, precise, and soulful at the same time. “Ten years ago, for no discernible reason, I began photographing land and sea animals and produced books called CREATURES, CANINE, and AQUATICS. As the work progressed, I moved closer and closer so I could see my subjects more intimately. This way of working felt very different than photographing people, places, and events as a documentary photographer; it was far more peaceful, relaxing, and introspective. And it required a lot more patience. Photographing the human body was simply a natural extension of this direction.In all these photographs my goal is very basic. I want to make fundamentally good pictures – well-crafted photographs that make you stop and look and maybe reflect. Beyond that, I have no grand design, no hidden or overt agenda. You can choose to see these pictures in any way you want, as graphic images, as metaphors, or even as documents. It really doesn't matter to me.”

Henry Horenstein

Bio

1965-69

University of Chicago, History Major

1967

University of Warwick (England)

Study with Historian E.P. Thompson

1968

Summer Workshop, Arlington, MA

Study with Minor White

1970-73

Rhode Island School of Design

MFA, Photography (1973)

BFA, Photography (1971)

Study with Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind

1974-76

Instructor, Photography, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Since 1975

Free-lance photographer and author

1976-78

Instructor, Photography, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA

1979-85

Creative consultant, Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, MA

1981-94

Part-time faculty, Photography and Illustration: Rhode Island School of Design

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